Darklord Deathmatches
by The Empty Lord
Summary: When evil comes together, there will be conflict. Characters of darkness and evil are thrown together in battles of power and cunning, to see who truly reigns supreme. The heroes narrate a show where villains fight to the death. Rated T for violence.
1. Ganondorf versus Shadow the Hedgehog

A/N: Welcome, my friends, to my first work in this location. There WILL be spoilers for many games. As is standard in this place, I own none of the characters. They are possessions of Nintendo, Konami, or Sega. So, in the words of a certain character, lets-a-go!

Our story begins in a small, cramped, and mostly dull room. A large desk, overflowing with papers, is placed smack in the center, with three firm wooden chairs accessible behind it. The people in the chairs are easily more notable than anything else in the room. In the chair to the far left sits a rather tall and muscular man with black hair and a camouflaged suit that blends into the background. The grenades and guns placed securely in the suit mark him as the one and only Solid Snake. On the far right is a blue being with spiky quills. Barely able to see over the desk because of his diminutive height, and fingers tapping the desk in boredom, this is clearly the one and only Sonic the Hedgehog. Sitting in between Snake and the hedgehog was a rather chubby, but seemingly jolly man. He wore a pair of dark blue overalls, and a red cap with a large black 'M' marked in the center. Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of this figure was his large, well combed mustache, strategically placed between his equally large smile and nose. Almost everyone across every world had heard of this character: Super Mario, hero of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Welcome, to our-a first episode of the Darklord Deathmatches! You probably a-recognize me... and everyone here. So, for the sake of time, we'll skip our introductions!" Mario paused, and then continued, "Since this is the very first episode of our new show, we'll explain the rules to you. Each match will-a feature two rival lords of evil, pitted together in a combat to the 'death'. They won't actually die, due to the high tech simulation this room has. I don't-a understand it all myself. Each character will only be able to use what items they normally have in their 'canon' appearances, and can only bring in a-what they carry. There is no leaving the arena once entered, and no minions may accompany their leaders in- unless if magic is used during a fight. After that, it's-a fight to the death. For example, if I were to do some a-fighting, I might bring in a fire flower and a hammer. Simple, right?"

Sonic interjected, "Yeah, yeah, lets just get this started already. The viewers will learn as they watch it. Just tell them what the arena looks like and bring out today's combatants!" Impatient as always, Sonic just wanted the whole process to speed up.

"I'll take care of that. I think I'm the most qualified to give the layout of the arena. I am the one who made it," Snake stated, to the agreement of the other two. "The arena is roughly one hundred meters by one hundred meters. This is large enough to let our combatants use some evasion, yet not large enough that their out of sight or so that they can stall indefinitely. The only places of concealment in this flat, grassy terrain are the gravestones that are spread throughout it. Most are just headstone pressed against the ground, but a few will provide some solid cover. There are roughly a dozen of these type dotted across the arena. The entire battlefield is encased inside of a large room, with the ceiling about two floors overhead. The graveyard feel that this warzone has rather fits the theme of Darklord Deathmatches. This is going to be an eerie and destructive fight."

Mario began, "So, now that we have the rules out of the way, it's actually time to introduce today's fighters. First, we have a powerful fighter who is no stranger to fighting in this style. He was once-a known as the Prince of Thieves, but today he goes by a more sinister title: Great King of Evil. He was a simple thief living in the desert before he launched an attack, and took for himself the Triforce of Power. Since then, he has waged wars against the nation of-a Hyrule for hundreds of years. Heroes occasionally rise up to stop him, but he always lives to fight another day, and has succeeded in conquering the land several times. Ladies and a-Gentleman, I present to you Ganondorf Dragmire!"

The camera panned away from Mario, and reappeared in the arena. Standing about two and a half meters tall and wielding a large, glowing sword above his head, Ganondorf was a very intimidating figure. As the spotlight came onto him, he threw back his head and let out a large, throaty laugh. He drove his sword back into its sheath, then lifted his right fist above his head. Glowing on the back of his hand was the sacred symbol of three triangles, one of them glowing a bright golden color. It was the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf's well tanned skin was adorned with sheer black body armor covering his torso, arms, and legs. His face, showing a malicious smirk as usual, was topped with long, crimson, and spiky hair. Mounted on his back was a humongous trident, something that was easily to large for any man of his size to wield.

Snake's voice was heard while the sinister picture was showing, "Ganondorf comes today wielding three magical artifacts. The most powerful of these is easily the Triforce of Power, shown on his hand. It grants him the powers of a god, and is not to be underestimated. In its sheath at his side is the Sage's Sword, originally meant to be the very blade of Dragmire's death. It is also a sacred weapon, and is able of killing most mortals with a mere scratch. It is impossible for this sword to be broken. Finally, he bears the Trident of the Triforce on his back. This trident is said to have mystical powers, and it is certainly a powerful weapon. The three points are symbolic of the Triforce, yet its exact powers are unknown."

"So, now that the loser has been shown, lets introduce the winner," Sonic said, with obvious bias. "Hailing from the Space Colony Ark is the so-called Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. He was created by the scientist Gerald Robotnik, grandfather of that idiot Eggman, with the DNA of a space alien named Black Doom... bla bla bla... he has the power of chaos inside of him, and can move almost as fast as me, which is pretty darned good for a faker. I hafta admit, if it weren't for his help, not even I could have saved Earth. I doubt he did it outta the goodness of his heart."

The spotlight had now moved off of Ganondorf, heading towards the other side of the coliseum. There stood a jet black hedgehog with blood red streaks in his quills. Arms crossed and an angry frown on his face, he held a large laser pistol in one hand and a bright green emerald in the other. Once the spotlight was on him, he promptly disappeared, reappearing a few meters away. Otherwise, he seemed to ignore both the camera's light on him and the jeering of Ganondorf. A confident- not to mention murderous- aura seemed to surround him.

Once more, Snake did an analysis of the combatant. "Shadow walks with us today with a high tech G.U.N. pistol that even I'm jealous of. It probably has about ten laser shots in it... each packing more power than a rocket launcher. He also has a Chaos Emerald, a potent talisman of energy that will almost double Shadow's already formidable strength and magic. It is said that whoever collects all seven of the Chaos Emerald will be completely invincible- much like the Triforce- but one emerald alone is powerful. With it, he'll be able to use advanced chaos magic- something not to be underestimated. He also has a healing ring over each of his wrists o help him regenerate some energy. Though he may be just taller than one meter, he is far stronger than most humans. Of course, it is impossible to talk about Shadow and not mention his speed. He is capable at moving at the speed of sound, which is possibly the fastest in the world. Also, he has the ability to teleport with Chaos Control... a deadly combination indeed."

Mario quickly switched off Sonic's microphone, preventing the hedgehog from complaining about how he, Sonic, was faster than Shadow. Mario then picked up his own microphone and announced, "I believe that today's winner will be Ganondorf. I've battled him now at two Smash Tournaments, and he's-a been pretty deadly. Not to mention that Link, his arch nemesis, has been unable to kill him for hundreds of years... I doubt that Shadow can here and now. Shadow may have-a the speed, but I believe the Triforce of Power is just too much to overcome. Your thoughts, Sonic? Your microphone is-a back on."

"Ain't it obvious? Shadow's gonna run circles around that guy. I fought Ganondorf in a Smash Tournament too, and he was nowhere near as strong as Shadow is. I bet he can't even land a hit. Whadda ya think, Snake?"

"This is going to be a good fight. According to my scouting report, both of them have ranged attacks that they can use. When it comes down to close quarters fighting, Ganondorf definitely controls what distance is left with those giant weapons of his. However, the teleportation and blinding speed of Shadow might negate that. In fact, it might negate all of Ganondorf's advantages. My vote will have to go to the hedgehog."

Mario looked up from eating his pasta, which had appeared on the desk while he was off of the camera. "Well, I suppose that that means Shadow is our a-favorite, by a 2-1 margin? Well then, let's-a get this fight underway."

The camera once again changed to the battlefield. A deafening voice told the combatants the rules, and then instructed them to go on the gunshot. Shadow stashed his blaster away and Dragmire sheathed his sword, neither of the competitors breaking eye contact.

3

2

1

LET'S-A-GO! BANG!

Immediately at the gunshot, Ganondorf rose up into the air above where he had previously stood, flying by magical means. Raising his hand above his head, a sizzling ball of fire and plasma appeared in his grip. With an audible grunt, he sent it flying directly towards Shadow. Oddly, the shady hedgehog had decided to stay still at the sound of the gun, despite the fact that he was normally quick off of the line. Now, he let the magical blast reach within a foot of him, before he suddenly took off. Curling himself into a ball and rolling at remarkable speed, he took a large leap and collided with a startled King of Evil. Surprised by the speed of the attack, Ganondorf was knocked straight out of the air and landed with an ominous thud, face up on the ground.

Shadow had no intention of letting his foe recover and regroup. Upon landing, which he did very cleanly, he took off in a blur of speed towards the other villain. Pinning him to the ground before he could recover, Shadow began to launch punch after punch at the Gerudo fiend. Every punch was launched with blistering speed, sparing no time in between. The velocity of the punches raining down on Ganondorf's unprotected face created immense power. Ganondorf, to his credit, squirmed and tried to shake off his attacker. Unfortunately, these efforts were in vain.

Ganondorf took each punch as if they were mere drops of rain despite that they packed as much power as a hit from a sledgehammer. A single punch would have been enough to knock out any normal man, and the brutal onslaught would have killed most. Ganondorf, initially bucking unsuccessfully like a wild bronco, had slowed down, seemingly allowing the attack to continue. In reality, he was carefully scanning his opponent's attacks, predicting a pattern and waiting for an opening. Despite the fact that he was taking major damage to the face, the calculations were very easy for a warrior who had battled for hundreds of years.

Suddenly, Ganondorf seized his chance, and reached out with blinding speed towards his opponent. Shadow, caught off guard by the sudden change of tactics and the lightning reflexes of the dark warrior, was caught by the throat. Hastily, he tried to break free and continue the attack, but to no avail. Ganondorf used his superior reach to hold Shadow out of reach. A dark purple energy was appearing around the hand of the sorcerer and the neck of his captive, slowly draining the energy of the hedgehog. With lithe reflexes, Ganondorf managed to rise to his feet and still keep the arm holding Shadow away and the grip of its hand tight. When upright, he tightened his hold even more, and the purple aura became even more present.

It was now Shadow who was at a disadvantage. Normally, he would teleport out with a Chaos Control, but he was unable to speak the voice command. The mystical power that was surrounding him was making it even harder to breathe, and it also seemed to be draining his power as well. It was a very dangerous situation, and it required immediate action. Slowly losing oxygen, the Ultimate Lifeform was forced to resort to swinging wildly in his captors grip. With his noteworthy strength, he was able to start to make the Evil King lose his grip.

Ganondorf was becoming worried. He couldn't maintain the grip for much longer, as the hedgehog was becoming increasingly unwieldy. Though he was hoping to choke out his opponent, he now saw that as impossible. Ganondorf knew he had to act while he was still in control of the situation. Raising Shadow above his head, he threw the hedgehog with a flick of his wrist. Shadow went flying almost twenty meters before crashing into one of the large gravestones, shattering it into two and continuing on through it. Crashing into the ground and rolling uncontrollably several times, he felt a jarring in his back before he slowly began to rise to his knees. He opened his eyes and saw Ganondorf, a mere ten meters away, charging with sword drawn toward the hedgehog. Shadow wasn't certain that he could rise to his feet and get away in time, given the pain in his back. Instead, he put his hand on the Chaos Emerald on his belt, and blasted, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Ganondorf was confused. He was cleaving his blade downwards when his opponent had shouted some unknown command, and then promptly disappeared. Was it a forfeit? No, it couldn't be. That was not allowed by the rules of the blasted combat. It must have been a teleportation. Quickly, he pulled the point of his blade out of the ground. He was starting to turn around to check behind him when he felt a sudden pain in his side.

Shadow had indeed teleported to behind Ganondorf. The pain in his back told him something was broken, so he hastily pulled the ring off of his left wrist, letting it slowly soak into his body and heal him. As soon as he did, he felt even better than when he had started. Quickly, he drew his G.U.N. pistol and fired three shots in rapid succession. The first hit the Gerudo as he turned, the laser blasting into his side with a shriek. The next collided with the man in the chest when he had fully turned to face his attacker, and sent him stumbling backwards. The third sent the stumbling man straight off of his feet, landing on his back with a thud.

As quick as sound itself, Shadow was upon his enemy once more. Pinning him in the same grip as before, he chose this time to unleash three of the laser blasts left in his pistol. The Gerudo shrieked in agony as one blasted his right eye, closing it for the remainder of the fight. Another hit his already broken nose and the third blasted him in the forehead, setting his ginger hair alight. Then, as quick as he had approached his enemy, Shadow was gone.

This attack had irked Ganondorf even more. The hedgehog was a wise one to hit and run, he knew. It was much like his nemesis in normal times, the Hero of Time, would do. Ganondorf knew he had to slow his opponent down if he wanted to win the fight. At the thought of the Hero of Time, he realized he had a way to trip up the hedgehog he was currently facing. Raising his hand and motioning in the common gesture of 'bring it on', he attempted to bring his foe in close again.

Shadow took the bait, dashing in at a pace the eye could barely see. Dragmire raised one of his hands above his head, and a dark force began to circle it. With Shadow a mere ten meters way, he unleashed this energy. It took the form of an extremely powerful wind carrying a mysterious dark power. This type of power was one and the same with the power that held the universe together, dark matter. Instantly, it slowed Shadow to almost a state of suspended animation, a feeling he was altogether too familiar with. Ganondorf then let lose another blast crackling energy, blasting Shadow out of the air and onto the ground over twenty meters away.

Shadow rose slowly, fighting against the dark power that was limiting his speed. It was hopeless to fight it and charge right in. Shadow knew that was what Sonic would have done, and that type of carelessness why the faker had been killed and had to be resuscitated before. Shadow did a few quick calculations in his head, but it was all guesswork. Eggman had never come up with an attack like this, and even Black Shadow had not been so clever. Shadow prayed that what he chose to do worked, as he really had no alternative.

"CHAOS SPEAR!" Shadow had unleashed a dozen white bolts of pure chaos directly into the wind. They cut through the dark gale like a murder's knife through a throat, contacting Ganondorf and sending him reeling backwards once more. As he lay on his back again, the gusting having stopped, he was once again held down by Shadow, and the remaining four blasts from the pistol hit him. Afterwards, Shadow was gone again, and Ganondorf was left with a flaming forehead. Dowsing it upon rising, he began to study the situation once more.

With his face resembling that of a man who had been run over by a truck, Ganondorf knew he needed a different strategy, His opponent may not have been the purest soul, but he fought like every hero the Gerudo King had ever faced. Ganondorf knew that he needed to stop the hit and run tactics, and if the gales of shadow hadn't been enough, then it was up to a diversion. Ganondorf began to laugh slowly as he willed his own shadow to separate from his body. It stood before him, slowly filling into a three dimensional version of himself, colored entirely black and with the head of a skeleton.

"Go, Phantom Ganon. Destroy this hedgehog, and do it quickly," the dastardly king commanded. Immediately, it saluted, and took off for the surprised hedgehog. Shadow, uncertain of this creation's strength, backed away slowly, testing its movements. Dodging the other shadow's attacks, Shadow probed it. It seemed to be a less coordinated version of the Evil King, but it was much like Ganondorf in swordplay. Deciding that it was time to test its defenses, Shadow jumped out of range and released another Chaos Spear at the phantom. Immediately upon touch, the phantom turned two dimensional once more and disappeared.

In the confusion of the doppelgangers appearance, Shadow had neglected to keep an eye on the true enemy. He paid for it with another blast of plasma energy immediately upon his defeat of the phantom. It knocked Shadow to the floor, but he rose to his knees almost immediately. Quickly, he scanned the area for his nemesis, but all he saw was a strange pattern of flat, black squares floating towards him. He sent another Chaos Spear towards it, but it traveled right through the pattern, which was called 'twilight'. Shadow gave an audible curse, as he couldn't afford to waste chaos energy; it was tiring, and once he overheated his emerald, it would immensely drain him to use any more.

Ganondorf had used his diversion wisely. He had taken a minute to get a breather and recover a little, then chose send a quick attack towards Shadow, which had hit. He had then morphed into twilight, a trick that had been taught to him by his former servant, the Twili Zant. Flying at his opponent, he was virtually unhittable. Unfortunately, it took great strength to stay as twilight, but it was worth it. As he collided with Shadow, he moved into his brain and began to possess him, much like he had done to a certain Princess Zelda years before.

Shadow was sent staggering at the sudden possession of his body. Another mind was fighting his, a sensation completely alien to him. His arms and legs began moving wildly, being controlled by some foreign source. Shadow could sense the dark power gripping his mind, and he tried to fight it. The struggle was escalating as his arms were flailing, hitting himself over and over, and his legs were bending in unnatural angles. It was a battle of the endurance of Ganondorf versus the strength of Shadow's mind.

Shadow's mind was no normal brain. It was created in a laboratory, fashioned to be a cunning device of battle. However, he had received amnesia on two separate occasions, a victim of the enormous strain he had to face. The battle was fairly even, but after a few minutes of struggling, the mind of Shadow won. But it was a pyrrhic victory, as he had bruised himself and exposed his thoughts to the enemy.

As Shadow slowly rose and began to focus himself once more, he realized he had taken a large sum of damage. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, so he held off using his second and final healing ring. As Ganondorf returned to human form on the other side of the battlefield, he began to pant as he realized he had overextended his powers. He was reaching the point of exhaustion, too. Yet Ganondorf had no ring of healing.

When Ganondorf was reforming, Shadow closed in on him at an alarming rate. Jumping up and grabbing Ganondorf by the head, he forced him onto the back for the fourth time of the fight. Ganondorf, tired and still getting feeling back into his body from having left it momentarily, was easy prey. Shadow wasted no time with punches or shots this time around; rather he chose to use the most powerful move in his arsenal, the one he was certain that no one could resist.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

The resulting explosion of red chaos that followed the voice command was devastating. It engulfed almost half the arena in a destructive light, destroying all of the tombstones in the area, and blasted Ganondorf with incredible force. The red light lingered for a few seconds before suddenly disappearing. Shadow, exhausted rose and began to check the vital signs of his enemy. The pulse of a beating heart had left Ganondorf, taking along with it any sign of breathing. Shadow rose and limped away from the corpse of his enemy, awaiting the congratulations he would receive.

A minute passed, and none came.

Shadow, growing impatient, glanced once more at the body of his enemy. What he saw sent the blood racing through his body. On the right hand of his foe, a golden triangle had begun to glow with an alarming amount of light. Slowly, Ganondorf began to float into the air, breathing once more. His face began to distort and he seemed to be growing even larger than he already was. Hair, long and thick like that of a beast, began to grow on his face and break through the armor. Dragmire's normal red hair was turning black, and horns were beginning to break through it and curl into long and savage spikes. When Ganondorf dropped out of the air, he was now over three meters, perhaps even four meters, in height, and gripping the trident he previously wore on his back. He was no longer Ganondorf. He was Gannon.

Shadow swore loudly, not for the first time that night. He had risked a lot in the Chaos Blast, thinking it would end the fight. However, things seemed far from over. He grabbed his second and final ring from his wrist and absorbed its healing ability. Feeling almost as fresh as he did at the beginning, he realized that the fight was going to be basically starting over again. Analyzing his opponent, he realized that he had no hope in a show of brute force, but his speed would serve well. He doubted the monster was quite as coordinated as his human form would be, so he should be able to get a prolonged attack in close this time.

What Shadow did not know is that when transformed into the mutant beast form, Gannon was not in full control of his thoughts. Gannon let out a mighty roar, and then charged straight to the somewhat surprised hedgehog. The Ultimate Lifeform curled into a ball, flying right past the beast's trident and smashing into his face. The annoying hedgehog managed to cling onto Gannon's horns and let loose a quick flurry of punches and kicks. While this type of attack had been enough to keep his human counterpart off balance and do some minor damage, it merely sent Gannon into a rage. He attempted to slam his skull into the wall in order to hurt the opponent, but Shadow teleported with a Chaos Control, leaving Gannon to roar once more after smashing his head.

Shadow now knew that his opponent wasn't fully aware of the situation. He seemed to have forgotten about the first part of the battle, and Shadow planned to utilize that. He sent a Chaos Spear flying directly at the beast's chest before proceeding inwards. As the chaos power hit the chest of the furious beast, Shadow collided with his head with enough force to knock him to the ground again. Another blur of over a dozen punches followed, bruising the snout of Gannon severely. Gannon attempted to take a rather large bite out of his enemy, but Shadow was once more gone into thin air with a Chaos Control.

Gannon arose with another roar. He was immediately met with a kick in the snout by Shadow, who had teleported to right in front of front of the monster. Then, Shadow teleported to the back of the Beast King's head, letting loose two blows before using Chaos Control once more. Teleporting around Gannon in various locations, Shadow managed to let loose a few punches each time before teleporting to a new location. Gannon whirled his trident around wildly, desperately looking for a target. Eventually, he connected, swinging the trident like a baseball bat and sending Shadow flying away, but not until the damage was done. Shadow had let loose over a hundred blows to Gannon's one strike.

Even so, Shadow realized as he regrouped that he had to finish the fight soon. His Chaos Emerald was now barely shining, taking on a mostly dull light. Shadow himself was breathing deeply from the amount of chaos magic he had unleashed, and the hit from Gannon's trident had done a fair amount of damage. Shadow decided it was almost time for the definitive blow.

First, Shadow circled his opponent at a blistering speed, letting loose Chaos Spear after Chaos Spear. Over a half dozen of the attacks struck Gannon from all angles, making the monster howl in pain. Then, quick as a wink, Shadow was once again holding Gannon by the horns, and once again a terrifying shout was heard.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

Gannon was brought to his knees by the pain, and almost seized breathing. He was unable to get an attack on the exhausted hedgehog, who retreated slowly. Slowly, he began to force himself to his feet, a maneuver which failed twice. Finally, he managed to get to his feet and let out one more growl.

Shadow was watching with annoyance and pain. His emerald was now completely depleted, and he himself was exhausted. Even so, the Evil King seemed to be much wearier than Shadow was, so he decided to close things. He would charge in once more on the beast, and let loose some kicks and punches. If that failed to defeat the monster, he would let loose one more Chaos Blast. Though it would leave him to exhaust to defend himself afterwards, he knew it was a risk he would have to take.

Sadly, Shadow had underestimated the strength of his opponent, who was an expert at shrugging off pain. The punches and kicks had done very little damage to Gannon, and the Chaos Spears were barely more than punches to an ordinary man. The Chaos Blast had been incredibly damaging, but he was able to bear on with such damage. As Shadow came rushing in, much slower than normal due to fatigue, the beast reared up and swung his trident like a cricket bat towards the hedgehog. It collided with Shadow, sending him slamming into the ground. In an instant, Gannon was upon him, kicking him into the air football style. There, he let loose a savage punch, breaking at least one bone in his opponent's body. The hedgehog struggled to his feet, and took in the opponent charging at him. Without a second to spare, he acted.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

The energy took another toll on Gannon, and he fell directly next to the faker. Both of the combatants lie on the ground, unable to get up. Shadow was unconscious, an effect of letting too much energy out when he had panicked in the moment. Gannon was lying on his side, barely breathing and his heart beating much too slowly.

It is most likely that both would have died that day. However, one had to be the winner. Shadow, who had simply given up too much energy, was declared 'dead' five minutes before Gannon would have been. It was decreed that Gannon, or Ganondorf, was the winner.

"Well, I have-a never seen such a battle! That was the closest fight I've ever watched. It's-a great to have such a great battle to start out our new show, don't you think? By the way, it looks a-like my prediction was correct. Ganondorf did win," Mario observed, seemingly incredibly pleased at the outcome.

"You know it was close, Mario. Don't lie. Shadow had that match, but that big beast got in that last ditch attack. If I were in there, I would have got past the... whatever that weapon was... and handed it to him!" Sonic was practically pouting that his choice of the winner had went wrong. Though, he did still have that smile on his face as he munched on his Chili Dog, a sign that he had liked the battle.

Snake was also surprised. "I've seen some good fights, but that one takes the cake. I think Shadow would have had the match if he'd stalled for more time closer to the end. He made the classic mistake of underestimating the enemy, and he paid the price for it. Sadly, the battle was a bit too magical for my tastes, but I did learn a new tactic or two."

Mario was finishing up his bowl of pasta, when he took a break and said, "Well, that's-a it here on Darklord Deathmatches. Don't worry, as we'll be back on someday. Sadly, our next matchup is still-a undecided, but you can expect some different villains on the show. Until then, just remember, let's-a-go!"

A/N: Well, that took some effort, but it was worth it. My first fanfic published is a sucess in my eyes, but please review with some criticism. There certainly is a lot I did wrong. Don't expect regular updates, but updates there will be. Review with suggestions for other battles, coming from the worlds of Nintendo, Sega, or Konami, yet not restricted to the characters in Brawl. I can not assure you they will become reality, but if they snag my attention, there is a good chance of it. So, until later.


	2. Dark Link versus Dark Samus

A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter than the last, and will be about the average length of chapters in the story. Now, we move onto this request by GoldenMoon Maiden. Review and you too could have your request granted.

"Hello, my friends, and a-welcome back to our show, Darklord Deathmatches!" Mario amicably greeted the viewers, "Today we have a real thriller in store for you. We present a battle of two of the darkest souls in the planet! First, to-a Solid Snake, with an update to the rules."

Snake's voice was now heard, "The rules are still mostly the same as the first battle. However, we've tweaked the arena a little. It is now about one hundred meters by one hundred meters, with about forty meters of height, but is completely barren of all obstacles. We felt the gravestones really didn't fit."

Mario once again took control of the microphone. He said, "So, without-a further ado, we present to you our first combatant. Hailing from Hyrule, he has roamed the kingdom for centuries. A swordsman that has no equal, his origin is unknown. Some-a say he was one of Ganondorf's creations, a shadow taken from a defeated hero to serve him eternally. Others say he is the evils of the Hero of Time, split from his body after drawing the Master Sword. Perhaps-a he is just a fallen hero, who works for his own motives. All agree, however, that he is a threat almost as dangerous as Ganondorf himself. We present to you the one and only Dark Link!"

A melody of drums and violins was heard as the 'Dark World Theme' from _The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past_ began to play. A man of average height was now under the spotlight. Dressed in a grey tunic that looked identical to that worn by the fabled Hero of Time, his body was an unnatural black. His eyes shone a bright blood red. Waving his sword around in complex motions, he showed himself to be an absolute expert. No emotion showed on his shaded face. A shadow come to life in three dimensions, he was a twisted nightmare of a poor child.

"Dark Link today comes with a variety of weapons," Snake stated. "He is renowned as a sword master in the league of Link and Marth, so he obviously carries a blade. All of his weapons, like himself, are forged from shadow, and can pierce almost any metal. His shield is an integral part of his equipment, and is almost impossible to puncture. He also wields a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his back. His Clawshots are probably his most unique weapon. One on each of his wrists, they serve as grappling hooks that can be launched at a wall or other object. Upon contact, they pull the user at a brisk speed towards where they have grabbed onto. Dark Link seems to have left behind some of his equipment, such as his Beetle Drone, bombs, whip, and boomerang in order to have increased mobility."

While Snake was talking, Mario was discreetly attempting to wake up Sonic, who was sleeping through the introduction. Finally awake, Sonic took the next part of the speech, saying, "Mario why did you... OH! We're on the air! Err... welcome! Our other competitor today is... um... oh yes, it's Dark Samus! She, and that is a she, a surprise to many when the first find out, hails from deep space. Originally created when Phazon, a dark and thick looking liquid thing, mixed with Samus' power suit, DNA, and a Metroid Prime, whatever that is. In place of blood, she has Phazon, and in place of skin, she has a Phazon suit! Apparently, she nearly destroyed the universe. That wouldn't have happened if I was there, of course. Also, I hear she's not all there in the head. Crazy, do you get me?"

Quickly switching from the half asleep hedgehog, the camera warped to an image of Dark Samus standing in the spotlight, on the opposite side of the arena of Dark Link. Instantly, the opening notes of 'Dark Samus' Theme' from _Metroid Prime 2: Echoes_ were heard. Cackling with an insane laugh, Dark Samus looked very much like Samus Aran in her Power Suit. The most notable difference was that Dark Samus was a cool and metallic blue color, compared to Samus' brighter suit. Also, the Phazon being's suit was sleeker and showed no sign of a being inside of it. Standing only slightly taller than Dark Link, it was the intricate suit made her appear larger than the shadow. Raising her arm cannon, a weapon that was at the end of her arm and was a distinguishing characteristic, she let loose a steady stream of controlled fire from the end. Showing the deadly power she had at her control, it made every onlooker question whether the old fashioned sword of her opponent would do any good.

Solid Snake chimed in with the analysis, "Dark Samus is one tough cookie. The suit that forms her body was originally part of Samus' equipment. The most important part of it is the arm cannon. It is capable of firing rocket missiles and the upgraded Ice Missiles, as well as launching laser beams that can be charged up. Similar to the Power Suit, Dark Samus can change into a Morph Ball, which is a small, rolling sphere that requires intense training to maintain. Most people are not nearly so flexible. In this form, Dark Samus can drop powerful bombs and become very evasive. Of course, the Phazon that makes up the suit is also very protective, and will shield her from many attacks, and perhaps even damage the opponent. That is one dangerous liquid. I wish I could get some of it into my tool belt, but it's far too dangerous to handle."

When Snake began to drift off topic, Sonic interjected, "Well, I think that there's a clear victor to this battle. Dark Link is both quick, and armed with a sword. That's a good combo, and tough to handle. When I had a sword in my hands, I was unstoppable. Dark Samus fights like that faker Shadow, with all that unnecessary tech stuff. Not too strong at all. I'm going to hafta pick Dark Link for this one!"

Snake, who was disappointed with his incorrect pick in the first episode, attempted to choose successfully this time. "I believe that the winner will obviously be Dark Samus. She boasts a much more advanced set of equipment. There's a reason nobody uses a sword and bow anymore: they're simply no longer relevant. Also, I seem to remember that Samus, in my opinion, was a much tougher foe in the Smash Tournament than Link, so their 'dark' counterparts should reflect that."

Mario took time to ruminate, scratching his chin as he did so, before announcing his choice. "I definitely believe that Dark Samus will win too. Like-a Snake said, Samus is just too advanced to loose this fight. Plus, that Phazon stuff looks-a lot more dangerous than some shadow. That means we have a two-to –one margin favoring Dark Samus. So, let's-a-go and see what happens!"

3

2

1

LETS-A-GO! BANG!

Dark Samus was seemingly the first one to react at the sound of the gun. In an instant, she adopted a fighting stance, raising her arm cannon to chest height. She knew that she had enough time to charge up her laser before firing, as the medieval opponent was armed with only a bow for long distance. Such a weapon would take considerable time to aim and fire. Dark Link wouldn't be able to cover the ground quickly enough with his sword to stop the charged laser shot, either. With a good deal of confidence, she allowed her shot to reach almost full power.

However, something took her by surprise. Dark Link had quickly grabbed his bow and nocked an arrow in a mere second, then let his shot fly without seeming to aim. Incredibly, he was adding another arrow into the air just a few moments later. The shadow, who had spend hundreds of years terrorizing Hyrule, was the most experienced archer of all, perhaps behind the Hero of Time, Link, or the Angel of the Heavens, Pit. The bounty hunter had to quickly let her shot fly semi-charged, and quickly attempt to duck out of the way. The first arrow crafted from shadow slammed into the Phazon Suit in her shoulder, exactly where the heart would have been moment before. The arrow shattered into tiny fragments and promptly disappeared as soon as the contact was made, and failed to penetrate past the surface. Even so, it still created some bruising.

As Dark Samus continued to go to ground, the second arrow passed clean over her head. She was on one knee when the warrior, who had easily sidestepped the laser, came dashing in quickly. The Phazon being was also an expert shot, and managed to bring her arm up in time to launch a rocket directly at the opponent. Unfortunately, it seemed Dark Link was expecting the action, and the Shadow jumped right over it. His sword had appeared in his hand and he now swung it horizontally in a blow designed to behead his opponent. Dark Samus, who had more time to react this time than against the arrows, quickly went into Morph Ball form, ducking the blow easily. Leaving a bomb behind, the bounty hunter exited the area at a brisk pace by rolling right under the shadow's legs.

Dark Link had proved himself to be quick earlier, and he once again demonstrated his speed. Performing two back flips in rapid succession, he was able to get out of the full blow of the bomb. Even so, he was knocked back by the explosion and lost his feet. Clattering to the ground, he quickly tried to regroup. Dark Samus, who was now hovering about two meters from the ground, had just sent another rocket at Dark Link, who hastily rolled out of the way before rapidly rising to his feet. He shot a Clawshot, a long chain mounted in a container on his arm that served like a grappling hook, directly at the bounty hunter. Dark Samus, completely unaware of this weapon's speed, was caught on her shoulder. The Clawshot sent Dark Link flying towards a startled Dark Samus. Planting a firm kick to the Phazon mutant's chest, Dark Link detached the Clawshot.

Dark Link landed lithely on his feet as his sword leaped into his hand. Dark Samus, who had not been expecting the maneuver and who was knocked off balance by the kick, was sent clattering to the ground. Rising into a fighting position once more, Dark Samus was stabbed in the shoulder by the charging shadow's sword. It passed clean through the Phazon, managing to inflict some serious damage. However, Dark Samus was tough, and the wound began to close almost immediately as Phazon rushed to heal the opening. Dark Link, beginning to swing his sword in another attack, was completely off guard for the rocket sent in retaliation by Dark Samus. Though it did not pass through his body, its momentum struck him hard and bruised him in the stomach. He went flying backwards several meters before landing with a horrible thud.

Dark Link was similarly unprepared for the next move of his rival. Dark Samus had cloaked herself in Phazon, lifted back into the air, and begun a charge at the Hero of Time's doppelganger. She struck him hard, sweeping him off of his feet, the Phazon biting into his flesh of shadow. Nevertheless, Dark Link was an incredibly resilient fighter. He had grabbed onto the bounty hunter's back and drawn his sword on the fly. With a quick slash of his wrist, he managed to cut a deep gash in the back of Dark Samus's leg. After cutting a wound at least a third of a meter long, he released his grip and landed, rolling to a smooth stop.

If it had been any human combatant, even the legendary Samus Aran, the Hero of Time, or Captain Falcon, the fight would have been over. The deep slash to the leg of an enemy, especially to the Achilles tendon such as the one Dark Link committed, is enough to severely limit the mobility of an opponent. It would have left them hobbled to a limping walk, virtually unable to continue competition at such a level. However, Dark Samus was not a mere human, but a mutant of Phazon, technology of a Power Suit, and human DNA. The Phazon in her body rushed to slowly fill the gap in the leg. It was enough to cause some serious pain and slow the bounty hunter down slightly, but not close to the telling blow.

Dark Samus, injured by the attack and suddenly free of the weight of Dark Link, went flying headfirst out of control straight into the wall of the arena. Crashing into it with a sickening bang, she bruised her shoulder and slightly bruised her head, but was otherwise fine. Regaining her footing after the collision, she quickly checked the location and movement of her enemy. Dark Link had his bow in hand with an arrow inserted into it, and another arrow was already dropping from the sky.

Once more, Dark Samus reacted quickly. Raising her arm cannon to the air, she launched a quick, uncharged beam attack directly at the plummeting arrow. Instantly obliterating the arrow, the beam was used as an effective defense for the bounty hunter. Another shot was on the way, and Dark Samus quickly countered it using the same method. Then, Dark Link was charging once more, hoping to catch the bounty hunter off balance and to exploit her bad leg. Dark Samus was ready, firing two rockets in quick succession at the rushing figure. Link's shadow managed to dodge both and came at Dark Samus with a powerful jump attack. Needless to say, Dark Link was caught off guard when Dark Samus neatly sidestepped, revealing the outwardly crippling leg injury to be just a minor nuisance.

Dark Link was also unprepared for what followed next. Dark Samus unleashed one of her Ice Missiles, a more powerful version of the normal rockets she carried. Dark Link quickly twisted away from the blow, which was aimed at chest level, yet it still managed to catch him on the lower side. Then, the special effect of the Ice Missile began to take a hold. An icy substance, made of frozen Phazon, began to spread from the point of impact, freezing the shadow from the shoulders to slightly below the knees. Unlike Samus' Ice Missiles, which were made of normal ice, the Ice Missiles of Dark Samus were of frozen Phazon, which also served to bite into the flesh of Dark Link.

Not one to leave her opponent to attempt to recover, Dark Samus quickly went into a Morph Ball, leaving a bomb behind before quickly rolling out of the way. Dark Link, unable to move due to the ice, was hit by the full blast of the bomb. On one hand, it did manage to free him from the ice. On the other, it was an extremely painful explosion, and sent him reeling. By the time he had the strength to scan his surroundings; he was hit with a fully charged beam from Dark Samus, who had time to charge up her weapon. The damage was very similar to that of the bomb, but was focused directly at his chest.

Dark Link was one of the most resilient fighters ever to walk the land. He shook off most attacks as if they were nothing. However, this was an incredibly powerful attack by a futuristic weapon, and he felt an extreme measure of pain. Even so, when Samus' doppelganger unleashed another beam, this one weaker and uncharged, he managed to slash at it with his sword, changing the momentum and sending it back at a startled bounty hunter. While it didn't inflict much damage on the being of Phazon, it did buy Dark Link the time he needed to recover and move towards the center of the battlefield, albeit somewhat slowly.

The opponent circled each other, each feeling the wear of the battle. Waiting for each other to launch the first move, it was finally Dark Samus who did so. Covering herself in another coating of Phazon, she lifted into the air and flew at the shadow, who was about fifty meters away. Dark Link responded by shooting a Clawshot at Dark Samus, who angled her flight path away and dodged before charging in once more. However, Dark Link had another Clawshot on his other wrist, which he promptly shot at the incoming figure. It caught her on the shoulder, and sent Dark Link hurtling towards a collision with Dark Samus.

Dark Link was the first to inflict damage. Deciding that the kick he used earlier in this situation was not enough, he decided upon the riskier move of lunging with his sword instead. It struck Dark Samus in the stomach, passing neatly through her body. The Phazon immediately rushed to fill it, but the wound was unable to fully repair itself due to her system's exhaustion. After being stabbed, Dark Samus, covered in a coating of Phazon, crashed into Dark Link. Being bulkier and moving faster than the shadow, Dark Samus was able to slightly concuss him in the collision. Dark Link was also bitten by the Phazon, which was like acid. Both of the Clawshots, which had chains still partly extended, were broken by this acidic material. Dark Link's sword, pulled from the mutant's body, was sent clattering across the floor as the two combatants fell to the surface.

Both of the competitors rose quickly, fighting off the extreme pain. In close combat, Link's bow was ineffective and he cast it aside. He would be unable to retrieve it without giving his opponent an opening. Now left with just a shield after the loss of his sword and Clawshots, he bashed it at his opponent. Following up with a few punches that did more damage to his hands than the Phazon Suit of Dark Samus, he was clearly at a disadvantage. Dark Samus used her arm cannon to knock away the shadow's unwieldy, makeshift weapon, and then followed up with two punches to Dark Link's face. Quickly raising her arm cannon to the dazed competitor, she let loose a rocket, blasting him back some meters. In pain, Dark Link was helpless to stop the Ice Missile that followed. It froze him from the neck to ankles.

Dark Samus pressed her advantage, charging up her laser. Unleashing a Hyper Laser at her opponent, she knocked him off of his feet and thawed the ice. Walking over to her opponent, she saw him struggling to remain conscious. Laughing manically, she realized that this battle was won. Lowering her foot to her opponent's neck, she applied increasing pressure. Dark Link, who was weaponless, at first attempted to pull her off, but lacked the strength. Slowly, he slipped into unconsciousness than into a painful death as his neck was crushed. The theme music of Dark Samus immediately began to play as she icily walked off of the field.

Back at the commentator's desk, there seemed to be a fair amount of surprise. Mario spoke first, exclaiming, "Wow, that was cold of Dark Samus. I must-a say, I didn't expect that battle to be so close. Dark Link was controlling the battle at the start, but he lost it."

Sonic interjected, "Well, yeah, he had it all along. He just was dumb at the end. I wasn't so far off in my pick, ya know! I really think I should've been right!"

Snake was the one who decided to close things out. "It looks like Mario has picked two fights right, I've picked one correctly, and Sonic hasn't chosen right at all. Something that seems to be a recurring trait in these fights is underestimating the enemy, or overestimating one's own abilities. Dark Link thought he had crippled his opponent, and proceeded in recklessly. If it wasn't for that blunder, he might have walked away the victor against the odds. I really enjoyed this fight, and learned some more tactics. Dark Link's uses of the Clawshots were particularly inspiring. I'll have to incorporate something like that if I'm ever using a grappling hook. While it is good seeing strangers like this fight, it's about time that one of my old opponents graces the battlefield. I'll try to recruit one for an upcoming episode. Until then, this is Solid Snake, signing out."

A/N: I think I handled the matchup well, especially as I've never played a game featuring Dark Samus. I've only played the old 2-D Metroid games, so I had to do a little research. An update in three days is pretty good, I suppose. The next one should be out in about three more, and then the updates will begin to slow. I'm excited about what is currently being written as the third chapter. Featuring two characters from Star Fox, a series I know VERY well, I believe it will be the most... entertaining... chapter thus far.


	3. Ridley versus Wolf O'Donnell

Something unusual was instantly visible to the viewers of the show at the beginning of the episode. The commentator's desk, or the people at it, looked immensely different than normal. Mario, normally seated at the center of his desk, was now stationed on the side, sitting as far away from the center as possible. Sonic was doing the same thing on the opposite side, leaning his whole body away from the desk. Normally, the third announcer would be Solid Snake, but the being stationed in the middle looked much different than the former Foxhound agent. Instead of Snake's muscular body and rough, bearded face, a flabby, bright green frog was visible at the center of the table. He was smiling and drumming his hands upon the table, oblivious to the discomfort of the other two characters in the room. The cap that sat upon his forehead, a red hat with a large 'S' on it, distinguished him as the one and only Slippy Toad, the most annoying being in any universe.

"Hey guys," the frog shrieked in an incredibly irritating, high pitched voice. "Snake couldn't make it today, so I'll be taking his place as announcer! He wasn't tough enough to handle the job, so I'll be taking over. This job is like every little kid's dream! I'm so honored to be here! I'd like to start by saying hi to my parents and family. Oh, and hello to the rest of team Star Fox as well! If it wasn't for you guys, particularly Fox for saving me from those baddies, I wouldn't be here today!"

"We'd like to tell our viewers that Slippy is only here part time," exclaimed Sonic. "When Snake left on emergency just a few hours ago, we needed someone to fill in. It was last minute. Put that emphasis on LAST MINUTE."

"Yeah, I'm the most useful person in the galaxy, aren't I?" Slippy was really starting to get on a roll. "If it wasn't for me, you would have had to cancel the show! Not even the mighty Sonic could hold down the show without Slippy's help! Just goes to show, I'm truly the best! OH NO! Mario, help me, get this guy off of me!"

Mario took a moment to stop the hedgehog from beating the pesky frog to a pulp before saying, "Well, I suppose we better introduce our first combatant. Hailing from-a the planet Zebes is an infamous general of the Space Pirate organization. Cheating death-a more times than any hero during his lifetime, this monstrous warrior has earned the title 'Cunning God of Death.' Being one of the few life forms ever to humble the great Samus Aran in a fight, this creature is known for its power and speed. His ruthlessness knows-a no equal; he was responsible for terminating most of a planet, killing the parents of Samus Aran. Though he may seem like a beast, Ridley is actually highly intelligent."

The spotlight shone upon a gigantic creature that resembled a dragon or a pterodactyl. Featuring an emaciated, draconic body that stretched to about four meters in length, Ridley also had enormous wings stretching out from his back. Adding even more to his figure was his massive spiked tale, which was perhaps three meters long. His whole body was deceivingly skinny, but his arms, claws, and legs were extraordinarily strong. His head stretched into mouth that resembled a cross between a bird's beak and the muzzle of a wolf. Layered with savage fangs, there was no doubt that his mouth would inflict a painful bite. At the call of his name, he rose into the air, making loops around the arena with the speed of a runaway rocket.

Slippy had taken up Snake's job of giving the scouting report with remarkable enthusiasm. "Ridley is incredibly dangerous. He can clock speeds rivaling that of on Arwing, a type of space fighter that I invented. You can't say that he isn't resilient, having always survived death. He can also breathe in space, an ability that won't be of much use here. He doesn't have any weapons except for his lightning fast tail, savage claws and fangs, and the ability to shoot fire. However, his large size and blindingly fast reactions should give his opponent a tough time!"

The garrulous frog managed to out speed sonic and steal his job of introducing the second competitor. "And, in the blue corner, weighing in at about sixty kilograms, standing just less than two meters, we have the challenger. Though his place of birth is unknown, he has spent much of his time in the seemingly uninhabitable planet of Venom in the Lylat System. He's a commander in the army of Andross, but he only does it for the pay. His true calling is leading his elite team of mercenaries, who go under the name Star Wolf. The name Star Wolf has become infamous across the galaxy, and he has the highest bounty ever placed upon his head. I've personally done battle with this guy, and he's a true master of the sky. It really ticks me off! Anyway, I'd like to introduce Wolf O'Donnell!"

Wolf himself stood directly under the spotlight as "Star Wolf Theme" from _Star Fox 64_ played in the background. His snout was twisted into an arrogant smile, as he waved at the camera. Standing much like a human and wearing high-tech body armor, it was still immediately noticeable that he had the body of a wolf. This meant that he was covered in grey and white fur, but more importantly was equipped with brutal fangs and claws. He also wielded more advanced versions of the standard gear of warriors in the Lylat System, including a Reflector shield, a Blaster laser gun, and G-Diffuser boots. Though he lacked his usual battleship, the _Wolfen II_, he was still well prepared for a land battle.

"Wolf comes today with a Reflector, a personal invention of mine. He claims that he made it himself, but you guys should know that's just lies. This baby can turn the momentum of any attack right back on the attacker. When I say any attack, I really do mean it. He also carries a Blaster, a laser gun with little special about it. However, I have heard Wolf's is stronger than the standard issue. His G-Diffuser boots are interesting. They'll allow him to nullify gravity slightly, making high jumps and slow landings a breeze. They're made from the same technology that keeps fighter jets flying at low altitude."

The feminine voice of an irritating amphibian continued to broadcast, "So, now that we've introduced the competitors, let's get down to picking the results. I've fought Wolf before, and he has reflexes better than any cat. He's also equipped with the best equipment in the galaxy. I should know, because he stole the designs from me! The nerve of some people! That guy is so annoying. I have to vote for Ridley today, as Wolf is more used to flying in a spacecraft than fighting on foot. As Snake once told me, he's out of his element!"

"Heh, I got to agree with the frog today. Ridley flies around faster than the X-Tornado! There is absolutely no way that Wolf will be able to keep pace. When in doubt, vote for speed, as I always say." Sonic, not for the first time, had chosen the quicker competitor to win.

Mario chimed in, "Well, I agree that Wolf will lose. He may have-a done land missions before, but it appears this really isn't his strongest point. Plus, Ridley does seem to have-a all of the advantages. So, this appears to be the first clean sweep in predictions a competitor has gotten. So, without-a further to do, LET'S-A-GO!"

3

2

1

LET'S-A-GO! BANG!

At the sound of Slippy's blaster, which he had accidently shot himself with trying to trigger the start of the competition, Ridley rose up into the air. Watching his stationary opponent, the cunning mind of the space pirate told him to go on the offensive. Blasting a red-hot fireball from his mouth, he streaked in directly after it. However, Wolf was ready for the attack. Lifting up his reflector and activating it, he went on the defensive. The purple shield that briefly flashed up managed to launch the fireball right back at the incoming dragon. Knocking Ridley backwards and straight out of the air, the deflected attack had struck him straight in the bony chest.

As Ridley plummeted to the ground, Wolf wasted no time. Charging in with surprising speed for a pilot, he managed to jump on top of the temporarily stunned dragon. He followed up by releasing five shots in rapid succession from his Blaster. Hitting the space pirate straight in the skull, it caused a lot of sudden pain. Ridley let out a roar of terror, then went straight back into the air. Unfortunately, he neglected to remove Wolf, who had his claws wrapped around the dragon's neck. Biting into the scales of the dragon, the razor sharp claws of the wolf managed to cause a great deal of discomfort and some damage to the armor. However, they failed to create a fatal cut of the throat.

Ridley bucked wildly, putting a might effort into shaking the wolf off. Disorienting his opponent, he managed to sake him loose. However, before Wolf relinquished his grip, he tore deeply at the protective layer of scales around the throat, leaving a mighty scratch in one of them. Then, Wolf managed to slow his fall by using the Gravity Diffuser boots he was wearing. Turning his drop into a roll, he managed to escape unharmed. Ridley, distracted by the effort it required to evict his passenger and the pain in his neck, head, and chest, collided with the side wall of the arena. Quickly gathering his senses once more, he decided to contemplate new tactics.

Ridley had never seen something like Wolf's reflector before. It was a formidable shield, and he was thankful that Samus Aran had never been given one. His tactical mind whirling, he decided that while it was able to deflect a projectile like his fireball, it would be unable to deflect a full on charge. The wolf might have other strategies for that, but Ridley was confident in his ability to overcome them. Even if he couldn't, it would allow him to scout his opponent more thoroughly.

Upon seeing what his opponent was doing, wolf flashed a cocky smile and awaited the incoming dragon. With the dragon just a mere second away, Wolf raised his reflector, and quickly activated it. The purple blast that resulted had effects on both competitors. Wolf, was shoved back a few meters, the immense force of the collision being slightly too much for the reflector to handle. Ridley was exposed to a serious pain in the head, the point of impact with the reflector, and then sent flying backwards across the arena. The space pirate had underestimated the strength of the foreign shield, and had been exposed to the full force of his own charge as a result.

Ridley, nursing a slightly concussed head, had virtually no time to react to Wolf's next move. Wolf charged in and let loose a barrage of slashes to Ridley's neck. Protected at first from major damage by the scales, it appeared the onslaught would cause little damage. However, the dragon's scales could only hold for so long, with a tremendous heave, Wolf knocked them off and let loose a powerful slash to the soft and unprotected skin. Biting in deeply, it forced out some blood from the dragon.

Ridley was known as the Cunning God of Death for a reason. Ridley had spent the time when Wolf unleashed ineffective attacks towards Ridley's throat by recovering his wits. As soon as the painful blow landed, Ridley went on the offensive. He started by bringing his tail, which had previously lain on the floor behind him, into an overhead slashing motion at the unsuspecting wolf. It caught Wolf in the shoulder, a spiking biting in and causing bleeding. Ridley continued his momentum by slashing the wolf once more with his left claw, tearing the bounty hunter in the side, before picking the rogue up with both claws and launching into the air. Starting to fly parallel to the walls, Ridley shoved Wolf straight up against the side of the arena.

Moving at blistering high speeds while being held against an object is a recipe for major burning, bruising and perhaps some bone snapping. Wolf, exposed to these conditions, was immediately feeling the symptoms. Knowing he had to act quickly before bones were fractured and he was disabled, Wolf slammed his reflector up against the wall. Blasting Wolf off of the wall with powerful force, the unorthodox move sent the rouge blasting into the dragon's chest. It also sent the Reflector clattering to the floor. Ridley, unable to keep his grip on the mercenary, was forced to let go of him. Fighting a battle to stabilize himself, Ridley eventually gained a smooth flight pattern once more.

Wolf was grateful once more that he had equipped his boots with G-Diffusers, as they managed to slow his fall enough to land in a graceful roll. Rising to his knees, he noticed that Ridley was flying erratically, seemingly affected by his earlier concussion. Tensing his body, Wolf launched straight into the air with a powerful jump. Aided by his gravity inhibiters, he managed to land lithely on the back of his opponent. Climbing his way up to his opponent's head, he let loose a torrent of Blaster shots into his opponent's skull. Ridley, mad from the damage, gave a sudden shake and managed to cause Wolf to lose his grip on the Blaster, and it tumbled to the floor.

Wolf still had the advantage on the dragon's back. His claws once again started to slash at the sore and slowly bleeding throat of the space pirate. Opening a wider wound, Wolf started to move in for the killing blow. It was then that Ridley lunged skyward in pain, slamming Wolf up against the ceiling of the battlefield. Screaming in agony as his back was bruised, Wolf let go and toppled off of Ridley, who had begun to descend, lacking the strength to fly.

Neither Ridley nor Wolf was able to make a successful landing. Ridley crashed down hard on his stomach, screeching in agony due to the pain in his throat. Wolf landed on his left shoulder, breaking it instantly, then rolled onto his head, and wobbled a bit as he rose to his feet, suffering from a splitting headache. It was Ridley who first was able to recover and launch an attack. Under intense pain, the monster was goaded into a killing rage. He charged on two feet at Wolf, giving him a hefty slash across the chest.

Wolf, gripping his torso in pain, now had damaging wounds to the side, shoulder, and chest. However, his legs were still fine and he was able to duck and weave under the raging pirate's slashes. Dodging attacks from both claws and the beast's tail, Wolf was forced into a defensive game. It all came to a head when Wolf stepped backwards to avoid an attack, and tripped on something lying on the ground. Going down to both knees, he fumbled to pick up the object he had tripped on. It was his Reflector, which he had dropped while in the air much previously.

Wolf barely had time to work out a strategy as an overhead slash came from Ridley's spiked tail. Catching Wolf in his shoulder once more, it completed the process of shattering the bones and tearing through the muscles. Ridley raised his tail upwards once more, preparing for another strike, this one powerful enough to cleave Wolf to his stomach. As it traveled downwards, it collided with Wolf's Reflector. Forcing the tail back into the air, it propelled Ridley several feet backwards.

The break in Ridley's attacks gave Wolf time to draw a second Blaster, which had been concealed in his boot for the entire fight. He had dropped his other one earlier in the fight, and it was too far away to be of use now. Rising with his last bit of adrenaline, he charged at the staggering dragon. Slashing his claw twice across the dragon's throat, he issued enough damage to slay almost any foe. Ridley was one of the exceptions, and his now shredded neck was devastating, but not decisive. He opened his mouth and roared in fury and pain, preparing to lunge at his opponent once more.

It was already too late for Ridley. Wolf had gleefully seized the moment when Ridley opened his mouth. Jumping up, he landed on the space pirate's back once more, and shoved his Blaster into the monster's open mouth. Letting out several shots, he then shoved the gun straight into them monster's esophagus. Ridley, in a complete state of agony from the shot, choked on the Blaster. Dropping down to his knees, it appeared he might have a nominal amount of hope left. This was simply not true. The wounds to his throat and mouth were both fatal, and as he gagged, the last amount of adrenaline left his body and he collapsed. 'Dead'.

"You're good, but I'm bettah," Wolf managed to wheeze. He then collapsed to his knees, exhausted by his enormous amount of effort. As he collapsed into unconsciousness and the doctors rushed out onto the field, his personal theme song playing in the background.

"Wow, what a fight. That Reflector was really devastating. I'm glad the Egghead never came up with an invention like that. Though, I'm quicker than Ridley, I could beat that move," Sonic boasted.

A high pitched shriek was heard, followed by Slippy's obnoxious voice saying, "Wow, what a fight. I really didn't know Wolf was so tough. I'll have to keep an eye on him in the future. Though, the only reason he won was because he had my weapons. I think Ridley did do pretty good, but just couldn't handle the Reflector. It just goes to show, Slippy really is the best! Without me..."

Whatever annoying boasting Slippy was going to perform was promptly cut off by the hand over his throat. Solid Snake gave the frog a petulant look, and then carried him over to the door. As Slippy was gasping for air, Snake threw him outside and hurriedly slammed the door. Walking back over to his regular chair, he sighed and began to relax.

"You know, couldn't you have someone better than Slippy fill in for me?" Snake, tired and cranky from his mission, didn't seem to like the other's choice of backup.

"I'm-a sorry, Snake! We-a couldn't find anyone else with data on the competitors. Plus, we didn't know Slip was that bad. So, how did your mission go?"

Snake perked up somewhat at the question, stating "It went very well. Psycho Mantis and I had a 'talk'. He didn't like the idea of coming on the show at first, but when I told him more about it, he really warmed up to the idea. He may not be here for next episode, but he'll definitely be ready to battle in episode five or six. So, until later, this is Solid Snake, signing out."

A/N: Well, not my best or lengthiest chapter, but it is okay. I feel I included too many inside jokes and really didn't write well, but it's getting posted anyway. I was a bit too tired to do a full proofread (not that I ever do for Fanfiction), so it may be a bit rough as well. I'm not going to guess how long it will take to update again, as my last two guesses were pretty bad. However, I can say to Review, as I'm getting somewhat... uncomfortable with my lack of feedback. Please, leave a suggestion for a future match.


	4. Zant versus Ghirahim

A/N: This is a request by Leonlink, and I believe it may be the best battle yet. The characters go well together as complete opposites, yet have many similarities. I must warn that this contains spoilers for a few Zelda games, including the recently released Skyward Sword. Also, I've tried something new with the beginning and ending of the chapters, so tell me if you like it. So, without further ado, I present to you chapter four: Ghirahim versus Zant.

Remorsefully, the camera swung once more to the desk where the commentators usually sat. Normally containing the three lively announcers that brought flair and drama to the show, there was one major difference today.

It was empty.

Apparently, the producers of the show, _Darklord Deathmatches_, had decided to fire all three of their world famous broadcasters. Though the show would go on, the brave heroes who analyzed fighting styles would be no more. Rumors circulated among the usual viewers as to why the higher powers of the show would make the decision. The most common sentiment was that a certain feminine frog had completely destroyed the integrity of the position. Others stated that the show was running low on money due to poor ratings and protests over its violent nature. A few curmudgeons even argued that the analysts themselves had been the reason they no longer had jobs. Maybe, they argued, that Mario's thick Italian accent had not been perfect to a role in public speaking. Sonic and Snake were both sighted abusing Slippy Toad in the previous episode, and perhaps that had not flown well with the more civilized producers and viewers. Snake was also known for his criminal record and adult tendencies. Whatever the case, the show morphed into a more focused role, showing the fight and the fight only.

Of course, there had to be some form of a new announcer. No longer would he have a personal connection with the competitors, speak in an unusual accent, or do analysis of weapons and fighting styles. The new announcer would merely mention the two competitor's names, followed by a slightly detailed biography, and then allow the fight to continue. Unlike Mario and Sonic, he would speak in proper English, a relief to the ears of those watching. Also, the low and gravelly voice of Solid Snake would be replaced with a manufactured, stereotypical, and deep voice of a public speaker. As another change, his face wouldn't cover the screen, and his identity would remain anonymous.

Sure enough, while a picture of the typical arena showed, the announcer's voice spoke out, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! We'll start the fourth segment of our show, _Darklord Deathmatches_, by introducing our competitors! First, we have the Usurper King of the Twilight Realm, Zant! Born as a just a regular citizen of his kingdom, he had a lust for power and a vendetta against the Light Realm. He also loathed the complacence of his own people. Wallowing in a depressed state of fury and insanity, he desperately craved the destruction of the Light Realm, but lacked any power to do so. When the King of Evil, Ganon, showed himself to Zant in the guise of a god and offered him the power of the Triforce, Zant eagerly accepted. Banishing the Twilight Princess, he mutated the rest of his people into beasts of shadow, beings meant only to kill. Invading the Light Realm, he brought it to its knees, transforming all of its denizens into mere spirits and forcing its princess to bow before him. When he was eventually defeated by the reincarnation of Link, Hero of Time, he was left to die by his 'god', who had merely used him as a tool. Though Zant may appear regal and composed, he is actually highly mentally unstable. Zant was used as a pawn, but he still has access to incredible magic powers."

While to announcer's voice boomed, the background played the music of "Zant Battle", notable for its incredibly fast and erratic tempo. Zant himself stood in the spotlight, as stark and still as a stone. Wearing black robes with green streaks, he highlighted his dark nature. Zant also wore a fancy red crest covering his chest, decorated with exotic symbols of his people. The robes ended in tattered shreds that covered Zant's hands and gave the appearance of claws. The robes and crest complimented a grey and pointy helmet that resembled the head of a gargoyle. As a whole, the attire gave off a royal and ethereal vibe. Zant stood incredibly still in the spotlight for the entire introduction. Eerily, it managed to add to his menacing aura of power.

The scene shifted to another figure and the announcer called out, "Hailing from the same world that Zant hates with a passion is the Demon Lord Ghirahim. Though his true form is the sword of Demon King Demise, Ghirahim can take on a humanlike appearance of a demon in his master's court. As his attire suggests, he is very flamboyant, but he speaks in a very refined manner fitting of his title. However, he can quickly go into unstoppable rages when his plans fail, and he has been known to clean his swords by licking them. His unfailing loyalty to his master made him Demise's favorite servant, enough so that Ghirahim was chosen as the one to perform the ritual to resurrect him. When he met opposition from Link, ancestor of the one who foiled Zant's plans, and Impa, chosen servant of the goddess Hylia, Ghirahim was pushed to his limits. Even so, he managed to bring his master back to power, defeating Impa in the process. Eventually, Link defeated both Ghirahim and Demise, saving the country of Hyrule and the rest of the Realm of Light."

Now in the spotlight was a figure appearing in sharp contrast to the Usurper King of Twilight. Ghirahim was dressed in a skintight white suit patterned with grey diamond shapes. His stark white hair matched his suit and very pale complexion, which was slightly covered with purple eye shadow and white lip gloss. Wearing obnoxiously large diamond earrings in his pointed ears and a matching belt with a giant red gem, Ghirahim's flashy nature was clearly being displayed. With the organ and violin notes of "Lord Ghirahim's Theme" playing in the background, Ghirahim raised his and clicked his fingers. A large black sword appeared out of the air in front of the demon, and he grabbed it and began a series of slashing motions in the air in front of him. The blistering speed of his attacks would have been enough to overwhelm almost any opponent, but the strikes were not merely quick. Each stroke flowed naturally after the last, creating a very difficult assault to parry. They revealed that the demon was a master of the art of the sword.

"So, now that we have introduced out competitors, it is time for the fight to begin. May the battle between the flamboyant, easily infuriated Demon Lord Ghirahim and the regal, unstable Usurper King Zant fare well! Start the countdown!"

3

2

1

GO!

Ghirahim taunted, "I will allow you to make the first move. As I outrank you as a Demon Lord, it would be most unchivalrous of me to make the first move. Oh, please don't hurry to thank me, as it is only my duty as a gentleman to give you an advantage at the start. But don't think for a minute that I will go easy on you the rest of the match because of it. I can assure you that when my turn to attack comes, your begging for mercy will deafen the ears of those watching us today." The Demon Lord proceeded to turn his back to Zant and blew a kiss directly at the camera that was filming the fight.

Zant didn't react to the demon's monologue, but as soon as Ghirahim turned his back, Zant struck. He merely lifted up his left arm. The rest of his figure remained completely stationary, save his tattered sleeves that fluttered slightly due to the motion. While the attack may have seemed ineffective, it did have an effect on Ghirahim. The demon was sent stumbling backwards by a telekinetic force, losing his balance momentarily. Nonetheless, he quickly regained his footing. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and threw his arms up into the air, letting loose a dramatic moan.

The demon spoke in a clearly staged tone, "Oh, the agony. It's too strong, someone help me!" Ghirahim smiled, showing it was all an act, and rose to his feet before continuing, "I apologize. It is not in my character to be so sarcastic. But when you attempt to hurt me, it makes me angry. Especially when you use such a weak telekinetic move... you not only try to hurt me, but you insult my power! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel inside? Furious. Outraged. SICK WITH ANGER!"

Drawing his sword, a long and black blade doubtlessly imbued with some magical properties, Ghirahim began to charge with alarming speed towards his opponent. Zant, to his credit, had not reacted in the slightest to his opponent's tirade outside of an almost inaudible grunt. Now, he raised both of his hands above his head, doing so casually, seemingly unaffected by the charging demon. A distinctive humming noise was followed by a twilight portal appearing in the air above Zant's head. A strange, flat gateway to the Twilight Realm made out of red and black tiles, these portals had been a great success with the war against Hyrule.

Two odd creatures came bursting from the portal and began to charge at Ghirahim. Completely black throughout their bodies save a glowing red emblem on their chests, and walking on four legs, they resembled a dog. However, they were larger and heavier, had the ability to walk on two legs if needed, and lacked the conventional snout. Instead, they had what appeared to be a shield for a head, leading into black hair that resembled dreadlocks. The monsters were called Shadow Beasts, former citizens of the Twilight Realm warped by Zant to do his bidding. Both dropped to all four legs and charged at Ghirahim.

The demon lord halted his charge, opting to wait until the Shadow Beasts reached him. On beast leaped up and attempted to take him from above, while the other simply charged directly at him. Ghirahim then launched a shuddering spin attack, a move he had learned in his fight against Link, striking both of the beasts in mere seconds. Both monsters crumpled to the floor and burst into nothingness upon the attack. If there were any doubts that Ghirahim was just an ordinary swordsman or that his sword was completely normal, they were now completely gone.

Even Ghirahim's skill couldn't save him from the next attack. Zant had waited until the Shadow Beasts had stolen the demon's attention before raising both of his hands and launching a barrage of flaming hot, purple energy spheres, his personal favorite move, at the demon. Ghirahim, turning back to Zant, was caught off guard as the flurry hit him directly in the chest. Ghirahim was knocked backwards and dropped to one knee under the pressure, but he quickly rose. He had taken the hit as if it was only a punch to the ribs.

Zant had not even moved his body at this stage of the fight. Merely moving his arms to launch attacks and staying otherwise stationary enhanced his menacing aura. Not reactive to the demon's previous taunts and attacks, he now decided it was time to get serious. Another twilight portal appeared directly above the Usurper King's head and he disappeared into it. Almost instantly, he appeared directly behind Ghirahim, with a short, curved dagger in hand. He lifted it up and began to stab it at the back of the demon's vulnerable head.

Ghirahim, however, had heard the noise of the dagger being raised. He knew that he had no time to spin around and match it with his own strike. Instead, he clicked his fingers and disappeared. Reappearing behind the Twili's back, he held out his sword in front of his opponent's throat and began to inflict the finishing slash.

Zant was most unprepared for this turn of events. Stabbing his dagger and stumbling forward when it hit nothing, he was left utterly bewildered. When the sword appeared at his throat, he panicked and opened another portal directly above his head. Jumping in, he felt the sword bruise his upper chest, just under his throat. It easily cut through his robe, but the chainmail he wore underneath of it saved him from everything but a light bruise. He reappeared on the other side of the arena, determined to go back to a strategy that worked. Feeling the rage that was taking him, he fought it down in an attempt to keep his cool, malicious composure. Zant knew that while he might be able to unleash more power in a blind rage, he would be unable to read the situation as well as he normally would.

Ghirahim was caught of balance by his enemy's disappearance, just as Zant had been earlier. Staggering momentarily, he was hit by another barrage of glowing purple energy from the Twili. Once more, he was blasted backwards and this time landed on his back. Rising to his feet, he snapped his fingers and five knives pulsing with a crimson energy appeared above his head. He launched them directly at Zant, who seemed prepared for the attack. Elevating his arm once more, the Usurper King launched a telekinetic attack at the knives, sending them right back at the demon lord. Ghirahim was caught by surprise as his own attack struck him, and failed to counter yet another onslaught of purple energy that followed.

Ghirahim rose somewhat shakily. As his true form was a sword, his skin was made of metal. He was resistant to most attacks, but Zant's repeated blows were beginning to tire him. Ghirahim realized that while he had the advantages in close combat, the Twili would defeat him if the space in between them was kept. Grabbing his sword, the demon lord went into a blistering charge at his opponent, much faster than he had done before.

Zant was struggling to maintain his calm. He desperately wanted to charge in and finish things off, but he knew that he had to keep up the game he had been playing so far. The conservative part of his mind won the battle, so he launched another strike of cosmic energy at his opponent. Ghirahim didn't even pause in his charge. A white haze surrounded him momentarily, and then it seemed as if he had moved two steps to the right without breaking rhythm. The attack of the Usurper King missed him to his left, and the demon moved in close. Stabbing with his sword, he caught the Twili in the side in a wound that punctured his robes and armor to inflict minor damage. Withdrawing his sword, he sent a slash at shoulder level at the wounded and screaming Zant, sending him flying backwards with another dent in his armor.

Zant desperately fought the wave of insanity that was bearing down on him. The wound had weakened his resolve, and he yelled in fury. Breathing deeply, he began to force down his temper, and succeeded. Turning to face the demon lord, who wore a very nasty smirk, Zant clapped his hands together. Immediately, the room was engulfed in blackness. Zant, being the Usurper King of Twilight, was able to see through the illusion, but Ghirahim was not.

Ghirahim was nervous. Though he could still sense his enemy's location, it wasn't as good as true sight. The shadows also did nothing to stop Ghirahim from hearing the noise of a twilight portal opening. Ghirahim also heard the three Shadow Beasts that came from it charging at him, and he decided to counter the monsters in the same way he had done the first time they had attacked: a spin attack. Unfortunately, Ghirahim had misjudged the locations of the beasts, and only one of the beasts was struck. Another tackled him and pinned him against the ground, and he stabbed it straight in the throat.

Zant smiled while watching the battle unfold by using his ability to see in the dark. He was the one who had created the beasts to serve under him, and he was quite proud of them. They were designed to work well in teams, and had a very special function. If only one was left standing while all of the others were down, it would let loose a stentorian roar with the power to revive its fallen comrades. Zant's smile grew wider under his helmet as he watched this unfold before him.

Ghirahim was unaware of the fact that two of the beasts he had defeated were back up and fighting after the roar. He merely used the opportunity of the third beast's reveal of its location to deal a solid blow through his chest. Thus, his surprise was evident when he was tackled from behind by one of the beasts he had already defeated. Quickly snapping his fingers to teleport across the arena, he hastily took notice of the current situation. Calculating that he needed to get rid of the darkness that pervaded in the arena, he raised his sword skyward and said a command in the demon tongue. All of the darkness in the room was absorbed into the blade, which cleared the arena and gave him a view of his current situation.

The remaining two beasts sprinted towards the demon, eager to obey their master and avenge their fallen comrade. In return, they each received a knife in the neck, courtesy of the demon, who was no longer blind. The demon then collapsed to his knees underneath of the power of a blast of energy from Zant. Zant then teleported to right in front of the kneeling demon, raising his curved dagger into the air in an executioner's strike as he did so. As the blade arched to the ground, Ghirahim rolled to his side, avoiding the attack. Ghirahim then followed up with a lightning fast stab to his opponent's stomach. Puncturing Zant's armor, it was a very painful wound.

The Usurper King couldn't take it anymore. Zant hopped around wildly like a man who had dropped a sledgehammer on his toe and screamed at the top of his lungs. Grasping the wound in his stomach, Zant's mind finally snapped. His mind, once clear and focused, became clouded with intense fury. The only thought in his mind was not about dignity, but about destroying his opponent. While any cunning thought had left his mind, great power that he had previously feared to use stirred within him. His new mindset could find no use in neglecting it any longer.

A sharp difference existed between the attitudes of the combatants. Ghirahim, while furious at his opponent and goaded into a fighting rage, still had much more control over his mind than the Twili. However, with this came a sense of personal limitations and intolerance to pain. Only time would tell which combatant's style would prove better.

Zant was the first one to resume the battle. Seizing his fidgeting with an ear splitting shriek, his body split into three transparent blue clones. One resumed Zant's previous motion of hopping around in circles around the demon, another remained in place and beat its chest like an ape, and the third hovered in the air above Ghirahim's head.

Ghirahim launched himself at the bouncing phantom, struck and defeated him with a slash of his sword. Upon contact, the blade morphed the phantom into a glowing blue ball, which moved into the phantom beating its chest. While growing less transparent from the rejoining of part of its soul, the copy of Zant shot a bolt of purple energy at the demon, who ducked it. Ghirahim, distracted by the copy that had launched the energy shot, was easy prey to the Zant circling above. This Zant sent a blast of energy straight down onto the head of the ducking demon lord, causing him to yelp in hurt.

Ghirahim wasted no more time, knowing that he had to lower the number of adversaries. He sent a few knives at the Zant in front of him. The knives pierced and morphed the clone into another blue ball, which rocketed towards the final copy in the air. Upon reuniting, they formed the real Zant, who let out a battle cry and drew both knives. Dropping out of the air towards the demon below him, he gave Ghirahim a devastating cut in the shoulder. Zant attempted to follow up with another cut, but the demon had teleported across the arena.

Zant, overcome with rage, teleported in close to the demon and created a fence of twilight around them. Extending only a few meters, it gave the combatants only minimum movement. If it was touched, it would surely cause pain to those that had knocked against it. Zant, with both knives drawn, went into a spin attack. Unlike the spin attack of Link or Ghirahim, he spun around over and over again. He collided with the demon, who gracefully managed to parry his blows.

Ghirahim was an expert swordsman compared to Zant, who just attacked quickly with little skill. He blocked a few blows from Zant and knocked him out of his spin attack. Zant, dizzy and unskilled with the sword, had lost his advantage of surprise. Ghirahim now advanced on him, sending blow after blow at the Twili, who desperately countered. The lightning speed and skill of the Diamond Demon was too much for Zant to handle, and he received a ringing blow across the shoulder. The force of the blow knocked Zant backwards, straight into his own wall. Despite the fact that Zant had created it, it bit into his armor, causing a great deal of pain. Zant yelped and teleported to the air above Ghirahim.

Ghirahim, searching to see where the Twili would reappear, noticed too late the barrage of energy coming from above him. Ghirahim yelped and went down to his knees not for the first time. The power of the repeated barrages was having a terrible toll on the Demon Lord. His skin, made of the metal of a sword, was overheating and he found it hard to keep his form. It was as if he was being forged by the Twili, and it was not a feeling the demon liked. He felt his skin beginning to soften, and he was determined to do something about it.

Fortunately for Ghirahim, the usurper was also stunned by the amount of power he had let loose and was taking time to breathe and regroup. In order to do so, he removed the wall of twilight from the arena in an attempt to conserve power. After doing so, his conscious thought was defeated once more and he went on the offensive again. Zant let loose a shriek and suddenly, the entire floor of the arena was covered with a thin coating of ice. Growing to the size of a giant about twenty meters high, he dropped from the ceiling in an attempt to crush his enemy beneath him.

Ghirahim immediately attempted to dash out of the way of the falling giant. For once, Ghirahim's speed worked against him as he slipped on the ice, sending his knee into a collision with the ground. Fortunately, it only slightly bruised it, so the demon wouldn't be too limited for the rest of the bout. However, it did prevent him from dashing out from under the descending Zant. In a desperate last second move, Ghirahim snapped his fingers and teleported to the other side of the arena to avoid the collision.

Zant sized up the situation when he reached the ground. He noticed that his enemy had gotten out of what surely would have been the finishing blow and was now on the other side of the arena. Zant stomped at his foe, his inflated size allowing him to crush the ice as he walked. It also served to shake the ground, resulting in a minor earthquake with each step. He approached his opponent and lifted up his foot, forcing it down in a tremendous stomp to end the match.

Ghirahim had allowed Zant to approach him. It would have been unwise to move, with the injury to his knee, the ice covering the field, the shockwaves caused by his enemy, and the lack of hiding places in the arena conspiring against him. As Zant's foot descended upon the demon lord, Ghirahim threw four knives at the sole of Zant's boot. Zant yelped, shrunk down to size, and began skipping around madly while holding onto his foot. The ice disappeared from the arena floor as quickly as it had appeared.

As Zant did an angry and painful dance, Ghirahim surrounded himself with hovering knives. With a snap of his fingers, the knives stopped orbiting Ghirahim and instead began to circle the enraged usurper. At another click of the demon's fingers, they began to blast in at the vulnerable usurper. However, they never hit him.

Zant had decided to let loose another monstrous change to the battlefield. Where he had once stood, there was now just a massive stone replica of his helmet. Stretching from the floor all the way to the ceiling of the arena, it had to be forty meters high. The knives collided with the statue and stuck in the outer layer of the rock, doing very little. Zant himself was on the inside of the helmet monument, in a small hollow opening behind the mouthpiece.

Ghirahim sized up the situation. Zant had to be inside of the helmet, as he was not visible anywhere outside of it. Also, he was sensing his presence to be somewhere in the vicinity of the statue. Ghirahim deduced that if the statue were hollow anywhere, it would be behind the mouth guard. Ghirahim charged directly at it, slashing a blow with his sword that sent cracks through the helmet. Ruefully, the demon realized that he could have broken through it in one blow if his knee had not slowed him down. Nonetheless, he launched another blow at the statue, and the mouthpiece crumbled.

The moment his shield was destroyed, Zant launched a barrage of violet energy at his opponent. Ghirahim was struck and knocked backwards, landing several feet away. Zant threw both of his arms above his head and the statue of his helmet disappeared into nothing. Now, the entire arena, save where Ghirahim and Zant stood, was covered in an extremely acidic liquid that would severely hamper movement.

Ghirahim, now stuck on a small patch of land, was actually thankful. His leg was already limiting his movement, so the acid preventing movement didn't really do much. With a click of his fingers, he was surrounded by almost two dozen knives. Ghirahim launched the knives at Zant, who was panting deeply from his action of warping the battlefield. Helpless to resist, Zant was stabbed repeatedly and blasted backwards off of his safe spot. He landed hard on the acid, and yelled in pain. Hovering off of the dangerous ground, he floated up to the area of the ceiling above Ghirahim. Preparing to launch another burst of energy at the demon, Zant noticed Ghirahim preparing to teleport to the other safe spot. Zant turned and launched his barrage of energy there instead, and Ghirahim was struck as he appeared there.

Ghirahim was sent stumbling backwards onto the acid floor, and it burned into his boots. Gritting his teeth, he teleported into the air directly above Zant and landed on his back. Both of the combatants were exhausted, and they both fell to the ground from a high altitude. Zant saw the danger of landing on the acid and manage to change the floor back to normal conditions before he and the demon collided. Even so, the collision with the floor was hard, and both combatants suffered bruising.

Both rose slowly and put some distance between each other. They both knew that the battle was coming to a close. Ghirahim was effectively hobbled. He walked with a bad limp, as his injury to the knee from the ice was worsened by the fall. His entire body was overheated from so many hits from Zant's energy blasts, and he was bruised from where the Shadow Beasts had gotten to him. Bent out of shape, he knew he had little energy to summon more knives, teleport, or exhibit superhuman strength. Much of his body was numb, a feeling that frightened the demon lord. Perhaps more frightening was his lack of mobility and utter tiredness. Ghirahim's goal was to avoid getting hit again, as he knew he might not get back up.

Zant, on the other hand, was also badly damaged. His armor was essentially broken to threads under his badly torn robes. Blood spurted from at least half a dozen cuts on his body, and his skin was rotting where he had made contact with acid and other dangers. One of his feet was absolutely deadened from his attempt to stomp the demon. His body would have been extremely sore, stiff, and tired, perhaps even unable to fight, if not for the berserker rage that kept him going. In fact, the wounds only contributed to his rage. Zant was not concerned about playing it safe at all, and was willing to take risks to overwhelm his opponent, who was clearly deteriorating.

Zant opened another portal into the Twilight Realm and called out five of the Shadow Beasts. The energy required to keep control of the portal with troops pouring through was immense, so after the portal slammed shut, Zant began to pant. As Zant recuperated, the pressure shifted to Ghirahim, who was trying to figure out how to handle five enemies in his current state. Ghirahim's face began to show worry as the enemies bolted towards him. The creatures, unlike the main combatants, were still fresh. Ghirahim realized that he would have to finish them off quickly, so he summoned and flung a bunch of knives in quick succession. Three collapsed instantly under the onslaught of knives, and two more rapidly followed. As the last two Shadow Beasts were beaten in a small amount of time, they were unable to revive the others.

Both challengers took a moment to catch their breaths and see what their opponent was going to do. Zant was obviously the first one to go on the offensive, creating a barrier of twilight matter around the demon. It effectively sealed him in a cage with no where to go. Zant had obviously overlooked Ghirahim's ability to teleport, though, and the demon lord was out of the trap in a flash. Zant's next attack was another energy blast, but Ghirahim successfully sidestepped. Zant began to breathe deeply, trying to muster up more power. Ghirahim seized the opportunity and launched a single knife at Zant's chest, where it stuck and shattered. It caused enough pain to send Zant into a charge at Ghirahim, much like a wild bull. Ghirahim regretted that he didn't have the energy to summon more than one knife.

Shortly before reaching the demon, Zant went into a spin attack with his two arched daggers. Ghirahim was tired, and was unwilling to risk taking a blow if he failed to parry, so he stepped out of the way. Zant spun around and continued his attack, but Ghirahim managed to back away. Finally, Zant could no longer keep up the twirling, and broke out of it dizzily. Ghirahim seized his opportunity and let loose a slew of attacks with his sword. Though the blows were slower than they had been at the beginning of the match, several of the blows still slipped past the usurper, who was tired and woozy. Cut at least a dozen more times, Zant threw himself at Ghirahim for one final attack.

Ghirahim cleanly blocked a hit from one of Zant's knives, but the other dagger slipped past his guard and took him in the shoulder. Ghirahim quickly wrenched backwards and Zant lost his grip on the blade, which was embedded in Ghirahim's shoulder. But, when Ghirahim stumbled backwards, his bad leg gave out slightly and Zant used the opportunity to lunge in for a killing blow. Unfortunately for Zant, his reaction speed was too slow at this point of the match. Ghirahim saw the move coming and forced himself to fight against the pain overcoming him. Ghirahim had a longer blade than Zant, and he reacted quickly enough to impale Zant in the chest before the usurper could reach him.

Zant remained standing for a moment, stunned, before he crumpled to his knees. His remaining knife dropped from his hand as he let out a low moan. Zant lifted his right arm up, as his left arm was completely crippled from a slash from the demon, and removed his helmet. With the intimidating helmet gone, it was revealed that Zant's head was a white crescent with overly large features. It gave a cartoonish and surreal look to a villain who had at first appeared ethereal and frightening. The mouth moved slowly, whispering something that Ghirahim and the audience could not make out. It opened one more time, letting out a guttural yell.

"GGGAAAAANNNNNNOOOOONNNN!" Zant's neck seemed to move on its own accord after he shouted out his god's name. It bent over suddenly, and then made an obnoxious cracking noise. The light left Zant's eyes as he fell onto his side, and was pronounced 'dead'. Ghirahim's theme began to play as Ghirahim himself collapsed to his knees, completely exhausted after the battle. The sheer difficulty of the battle was shown in that the normally flamboyant victor simply lacked the energy to show off.

The announcer's voice came across the loudspeaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that our winner is Ghirahim. His swordplay eventually proved too much for Zant to handle. Zant's rage eventually worked against him, causing him to use up too much power and repeat useless strategies. If he had realized what bad condition he was in, maybe he wouldn't have gone charging in. Ghirahim's mind was less clouded by fury, and he was able to walk out with the win. So, before you go, I'd like to give you a brief preview of what will probably be our next episode, or at least an episode in the near future."

The scene changed. Walking into the arena were three silhouettes. One character was short, stubby, and overly chubby. Strolling next to him was a tall and lean competitor. Both of these competitors held spheres in their hands that could be either magical orbs or perhaps bombs. On the opposite side of the arena was a giant form that dwarfed both of them. While much of him or her couldn't be seen, it was apparent that he or she had muscular arms and some sort of spikes, and could be mistaken for fat. The competitors walked towards each other, and the screen went blank before the words 'to be continued' appeared.

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: I broke 6,000 words for the first time, and I think the battle was good. I must ask a question. Do you think the new beginning and ending to a chapter, with the new announcer, is better than the old one? It is easier to write, and I feel as if the old intro was a boring waste of space. Make sure you tell me your thoughts when you review. Suggest a match, and guess what the upcoming match teased at here is. I'll start working on it soon.


End file.
